Designers Charlotte Moss and Nestor Santa-Cruz evaluate these chic and versatile vanities that do far more than just look pretty

The mere mention of dressing tables may bring to mind images of early Hollywood starlets checking their hair and makeup, but these highly functional pieces have been around far longer than that. The specialized table, usually featuring drawers and sometimes a mirror, first appeared in 17th-century France before catching on with English and American cabinetmakers. Today, dressing tables come in an array of shapes, sizes, and materials—and small consoles and desks can also often fit the role.

"My first dressing table was a kidney-shaped number my grandmother gave me," says Charlotte Moss. "It was terribly chic." She uses her current one not only to apply makeup, she says, but also "to display jewelry and personal items."

Nestor Santa-Cruz admires the compact furnishing for its versatility. "I like the idea of a dressing table that could be moved through the house and used as a desk or even a dining table," he says. "It could become your most important piece."

THE EXPERTS

NESTOR SANTA-CRUZ

Trained as an architect, Washington, D.C., designer Santa-Cruz has a flair for appealing proportions and uncluttered compositions. He is also a design director at Gensler.nestorsanta-cruz.com

CHARLOTTE MOSS

In addition to designing richly detailed interiors, New York–based Moss has created products and written style guides. Her new collections for Century Furniture and Fabricut will debut in 2014.charlottemoss.com

1 / SALON DESK BY BERNHARDT

1 / SALON DESK BY BERNHARDT

Featuring an alabaster-color wood top on a geometric metal base, this table has "a floating quality," says Moss. "It's like a big jewelry box on a stand." Santa-Cruz is taken with the textural appeal of the materials, including faux shagreen for the drawer fronts and gold-hued metal for the pulls. "I like the play of smooth and speckled," he says. 62" w. x 30" d. x 30" h.; $1,488; bernhardt.com